1. IN WAGES AND LEADERSHIP
GENDER DIFFERENCES
IN WAGES
AND LEADERSHIP
Gender gaps in wages and leadership positions are large- Why, annd what can be done about it?
Article written by Mario Macis
Presentation by Benedetta Barbieri

2. Gender Disparities Purpose of the article:
Gender disparities exist in virtually all countries around the world, with women being disadvantaged in many areas such as
Male–female gaps are especially large in developing countries
Purpose of the article:
identify and quantify the specific gender gaps that exist with respect to wages and leadership positions within institutions and organizations and compare them.
Provide insights into their causes and consequences, and help understand the link between the two phenomena.

3. 1. Gender parity in education and share of women in wage employment
RATIO OF WOMEN TO MEN ENROLLED IN
primary and secondary schools
- low income countries
: 0.70
: 0.89
- Lower-middle income countries
: 0.89 :
Tertiary level schools
- lower-middle income countries
2000: 0.97
2012: 1.13
- upper-middle-income countries
2000: 1.24
2012: 1.32
more women than men!
Gender gaps have narrowed in high- and middle-income countries, but remain large in low-income countries. Women are bridging the education gap, as indicated by increased tertiary education enrollment rates.

4. 2. Gender wage gaps GDP per capita
According to figure 1,one would expect male–female wage gaps to be systematically smaller in higher-income countries. HOWEVER:
Women’s earnings are lower than men’s in virtually all countries; on average, the female–male earnings ratio is 79.8,women earn 20% less than men.
There is wide variation in the female–male earnings ratio around the world, ranging from below 60 to slightly above 100.
No relationship between the level of GDP per capita and the gender wage gap; in particular, earnings disparities between women and men are not narrower in richer countries
Although women in many countries have reached parity with men in terms of formal
educational attainment and participation in wage employment (Figure 1), there appears
to be no correlation between the gender wage gap and per capita GDP.

5. 3. Women in leadership positions (2015)
Parliamentary seats worldwide
held by women:
about 20%. Despite some improvements,
women’s share of parliamentary seats remains
below their share in the labor force.
Female prime ministers or heads of
state in 2015:
12.5% in high income countries
5% in middle-income countries
3% in low-income countries.
Women's representations in firms:
female top managers
high-income countries: 31%
lowest in low-income countries: 24%

6. 4. Female CEOs
Shows the proportion of female CEOs in publicly listed companies in several countries:
only a small fraction of CEO and other top executive positions
are held by women.
women are severely underrepresented among the
largest publicly traded firms in all countries.
Women represent 4.8% of CEOs in the US Fortune 500 companies, 5.6% inChina’s publicly listed companies,
1.8% in Latin 500 companies, 2.8% in publicly traded
companies in the EU, 3% among the Mexico Expansion
300 companies, and 4% of CEOs among India’s Mumbai
Stock Exchange 100 companies.
When looking at both political institutions and firms, one finds that “glass ceilings” do seem to be in place, which prevent women from advancing to the highest ranks.

7. EXPLANING GENDER WAGE GAPS
Women’s disadvantage in developing countries is not limited to the labor market.
GENDER DISPARITIES EXIST IN:
health and education
basic freedoms and autonomy
distribution of bargaining power within the household.
Improvements in educational attainment may not automatically translate into reduced gender earnings gaps; similarly, reducing occupational segregation is helpful, but also is not likely to entirely close gender disparities in earnings
 OTHER FACTORS MAY BE AT PLAY.

8. OTHER FACTORS THAT EXPLAIN GENDER GAPS IN THE LABOR MARKET
discrimination, gender roles and the division of labor within the household, psychological traits…
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS (Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia)
JOB-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS such as occupation and industry
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS : strong negative correlation is found between anti-egalitarian views (e.g. the perception that women’s role in society is that of homemakers and the role of men is to be breadwinners) and female employment rates and gender earnings gaps.
UNEQUAL RIGHTS: women are not afforded the same opportunities as men. This is especially the case in developing countries. Many government policies that limit women’s participation in the labor market, particularly their ability to engage in entrepreneurial activities.
 In 155 of the 173 economies covered, there is at least one legal barrier for women that does not exist for men. For example, in 18 countries, husbands are legally allowed to prevent their wives from working, and in some countries women are legally required to obtain their husband’s permission before they can register a business.

9. POLICY OPTIONS TO INCREASE FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
improving women’s educational access and attainment in developing countries can at least help create the conditions for women to achieve leadership roles in firms. 
- “women help women”, and policies that increase female representation in corporate
leadership might also have positive effects for women at lower ranks.
- introduce quotas to increase women’s representation in legislative bodies and corporate boards.
Eliminating legal discrimination against women, and promoting policies to counteract discrimination and cultural and social norms that, in many countries, have traditionally assigned women subordinate roles should be critical policy goals. (ex: In India, evidence indicates that female leaders implemented policies that benefited other women, and also created role models that influenced young women’s education and career aspirations and decisions)
Recent trends show improvement of women’s legal rights in many countries, but further policy action is needed.

10. Thank you!
- Benedetta Barbieri